At this time, Microsoft has the reining OS of the world. This has no bearing on a bias toward or against ... it is the current reality.
Personally, I have used Linux variants off and on for many years now and plan to install one computer with only Linux (again) when I get a more powerful computer than the 450 MHz Pentium that I gave to my mother to run Windows 98. I have a KVM switch here so this permits me to run two computers with different OS's side by side and instantly switch back and forth with only one mouse/monitor and keyboard. The software I mentioned earlier are some of the best OSS and in some cases may be superior to some of the Windows centric software. Please be aware that none of that software requires payment so it has nothing to do at all with commercial sales. The software you mention below are in some cases, also OSS. For example, Xastir is considered a very good OSS product and runs on "Windows/MacOSX/Linux/FreeBSD/Solaris/Lindows." The WSJT software you mention is cross platform as well. I have it set up on Windows now. As a fairly high end user of word processing due to heavy use of tabular documents with shading nuances within a table box, I have to admit that MS Word is a superior product for certain attributes. If you need them! If you don't, then Open Office 2 is very good and easily handles more than most could ever want. Price = free. Same with Firefox and Thunderbird, etc. Most all of the amateur radio programs that I use are all OSS or freeware. That includes the Pegasus software, and the fabulous Multipsk program which works in concert with other freeware programs such as the equally fabulous freeware DX Lab suite of programs. Linux simply does not have anything equal to this right now. Many have asked the developers if they would be willing to write software that will work across OS's, and some have indicated they will do this. Most do not have the desire to retrain and are only willing to support the OS with the overwhelming number of users. I can not blame them. But I do believe that over time (but I have been saying this for well over 5 years now), there will be more Linux software available. The one Linux program that has been the major breakthrough is the PSKmail program that only runs on Linux. While I have not been able to get any interest yet here in the U.S., I plan to do some testing in the future. I have tried gMFSK under Linux and it is OK, but I think you have to admit a bit limited compared to Multipsk. A good source of information for the Linux apps is: http://hamlib.sourceforge.net/app.html I am sure many other hams would agree with me that we are indebted to the programmers who have built amateur radio software, whether on *nix or MS Win OS or especially for those who have written cross platform software. 73, Rick, KV9U Rein Couperus PA0R wrote: >This is a bit of a one-sided Micro$oft plug... depends what you want to >call 'good' software... > >What about Xlog, Klog, gMFSK, Tlf, Xdx, XCW, Xastir, Xcall, gpredict, >gpsk31, grig, FSK441, JT44, Pileup, hamlib, various drivers for TT >ORION, NEC4Linux etc etc etc etc... Is it no good because you don't have >to pay for it? > >Did not realize this forum was commercially biased. > >Rein PA0R > > Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
